Thermal performance in a small electronics device is becoming increasingly challenging. Increasing CPU processing speeds, greater radio performance, and integrated power-over-ethernet (“POE”) add significant thermal burdens to such a device.
In a conventional electronic device (e.g., one which has a relatively slow processor and a minimal radio performance), a cooling off process is generally managed by utilizing a venting system in a housing. Warm air simply escapes the warm device through the venting system, while cooler outside air enters the device to replace the exiting warmed air. Due to restrictions in air flow and limitations on installations and placements of such a device, this process remains useful for minimal heat loads and light performance applications.
As performance increased in an electronics device, a venting system is replaced or augmented by a metal enclosure. Some metal enclosures are designed to dissipate heat. For example, the metal enclosure may function as a heat sink and draw point heat off a device through conduction and spread the heat loads into an installed environment by both convective and radiative processes. However, such a device generally recycle a percentage of heat back in to the enclosure and radiative heating of the electronics by the metal inside is not prevented.